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March 10th, 2004 @ 7:49 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Charles, John Lovegrove, Albert Honold, Dan Hutchins, Papa John, Timm, Rob Levin, Dave Turnbull, Chris Ryall, Anime, WillTempered, Silent Boba Fett, Brian Austin Wenrich

  • So, will Kevin be appearing on SNL this weekend, after all? Could be! Check out this blurb from IMDB’s PeopleNews:
Jennifer Lopez will want to make sure she’s out partying on Saturday night – because her ex-fiance Ben Affleck is planning to poke fun at their romance on national TV in America. The movie hunk will host weekly comedy show Saturday Night Live this weekend, as part of his promotional schedule for new movie Jersey Girl, and he seems more than happy to mock his own high-profile romance. He says, “What I really want to do is get Kevin Smith to do the cameo during the monologue at the beginning of the show and say, ‘Thanks for ruining my movie and making me cast your girlfriend!’ That would be a funny bit.”
  • Here’s two more appearances to add to the ever-growing list of Jersey Girl publicity…
BEN AFFLECK – Dateline NBC, Interview with Jane Pauley, NBC, Friday, March 12th.
JASON BIGGS – The Ellen Degeneres Show, syndicated, Tuesday, March 16th.

  • This month’s Men’s Health has a 2 page interview (well 1 photo page, one text page) with Kevin discussing the ways he approaches his career and management style when it comes to making movies. Click the scans above for a closer look.
  • Kevin’s not the only one doing interviews for Jersey Girl. Ben’s right there with him, and in this piece from TV Guide Insider, he talks about the media and his belief in his Jersey Girl work (which, having just seen it again, is truly an excellent performance):
Ben Affleck Slams Media
Life in the spotlight isn’t easy for Ben Affleck, who vents his frustration with the press in Jersey Girl (opening March 26). He plays a music-industry publicity flack frustrated by balancing fatherhood with work who breaks down during a press conference, telling off a room full of music reporters. Firing back at the press felt cathartic for the 31-year-old Oscar winner, whose breakup with J.Lo has sold lots of tabloid rags this year.
“It wasn’t too tough to film,” Affleck laughs. “When we were shooting, it was at the pinnacle — actually [what] I thought was the pinnacle — of the madness. I felt like I had the inside track on the character.
“For the most part, in my experience, people in the press happen to be bright, interesting, smart, thoughtful, professional people with standards,” he adds diplomatically. “It is a few-bad-apples thing with the media, mostly in the tabloid media, that creates sort of the lowest common denominator, where magazines that used to do straight-ahead journalism now feel they have to compete with screaming headlines and a gossipy angle.”
Affleck knows the press wields great influence over moviegoers’ viewing choices — just look at what media coverage has done for The Passion of the Christ. So he hopes critics will look favorably upon Jersey Girl. “The press always has to be able to say something that is new,” he sighs. “I think the hook [for Jersey Girl] will end up being, ‘This is not Gigli’ or ‘Hey, this movie is actually good!'”
Although Bennifer swept the Razzie Awards with Gigli, Affleck hopes we’ll give him and his famous ex another chance. “Last year was an interesting year. I had a movie that did really well (Daredevil), a gigantic bomb (Gigli) and a movie that performed more or less on par with where it should have (Paycheck). The one that is the biggest Ishtar-like catastrophe is the one that everyone remembers.
“It is actually really nice to have [Jersey Girl] happen now, because it is sort of counters that,” he points out. “I’m really proud of this film. Professionally and personally, being that Jen is in it — even for 10 minutes — it leaves that whole thing on kind of a positive note. It gives me positive memories of my professional experience working with her.”
  • Movie Poop Shoot’s Antony Teofilo says some very well-written words about what to expect when you see “Jersey Girl”, especially as a longtime View Askew fan. Couldn’t have done better ourselves. Go check out his words right HERE.
  • If you’re trying to get ECU tix via that 800 number we posted, it seems that the wrong one is out there. The correct number is 1-800-328-2787. Sorry for those of you that got a screeching modem sound when you tried before. We’re not sure if any are left, but these ARE general admission to the public. Doors will open at 6:30 PM that evening.
  • Turns out that all those Daredevil 2 rumors we ran the other day were just that…rumors. Guillermo del Toro totally rejected the rumors that he was into directing the pic, and it seems that both Affleck and even Kevin have stated that the DD saga has a “been there, done that” feel to it. IGN has the story.
  • This IMDB story ran a couple days back, and it really looks like they’ve twisted the words around as personally, there’s no reason to think the flick can’t go #1, though the limited amount of screens opening weekend may prevent that, we think the per-screen averages should definitely give a badly animated CGI dog a run for its money. Anyway, here’s the IMDB’s slightly twisted take on some quotes from Kev:
Kevin Smith: ‘Gigli’ Flop Means ‘Jersey Girl’ Won’t Make Number One
Movie maker Kevin Smith has given up hope of hitting the number one spot with his new movie Jersey Girl – because Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have given the project the kiss of death. The Clerks director thought he’d landed movie gold when the then-couple agreed to appear together in his romantic comedy, but the huge failure of their last joint screen outing Gigli made him realize people don’t want to see the pair together. Smith, a longtime friend of Affleck’s, thought they made a great couple in real life, but admits he can only hope that Jersey Girl isn’t a flop at the box office. He says, “I had the benefit in the beginning of knowing that the movie wasn’t all about them. We kept it real quiet in the beginning because we wanted to have a big surprise but it got punched to the audience with, ‘Guess what, she dies.’ Once Gigli happened her death became a marketing hook. In all honesty, Gigli did kind of wing us and still kind of stings to this day because when I put the movie together it was Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Jennifer Lopez and we had a great shot at being the number one movie the weekend we open. After Gigli opened I realized, ‘We’ll never be the number one movie and we’re handicapped at this point.’ ” But Smith’s still confident it will be a hit: “As long as they hear our picture is a little better, I think people will turn out.”
  • Kevin’s name gets dropped in the last panel over at the Happy World of Bunnies today.
  • There were a few other blurbs in that DVD Commentary Behavior list from other View Askew titles we didn’t print last time, so here’s the rest:
The Movie: Chasing Amy
The Offense: Ben Affleck makes fun of Smith because he was just dumped by Joey Lauren Adams. (Maybe Smith can get some revenge on the Jersey Girl track.)
The Movie: Dogma
The Offense: I think that whole bit on the Dogma commentary where the talk about who was getting laid during the filming is in pretty bad taste.
Kevin talks about how all the actors were great to work with except for Linda Fiorentino, who was always being difficult.
The Movie: Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back
The Offense: (Kevin Smith & Jason Mewes) – Jason Mewes leaves midway through to go to the washroom.
  • And finally today, as if we haven’t already given you enough, if you just want more, more, MORE coverage on Jersey Girl, this Google Link will take ya to a full list of recent press and articles. We’ve covered a lot of them, but there’s more reading material if ya need it. Enjoy, and we’ll see you again real soon!

Commentary…

March 8th, 2004 @ 11:33 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Brad & Chris

  • Well, with just short of 2 and a half weeks until the big release, the one we’ve been waiting a while for, Jersey Girl is really starting to permeate the media. We’ve been doing some random sampling, and it seems awareness is good, even this early in the game. My neighbors knew what it was as soon as I mentioned the title, as did the tailor where I picked up my suit for tomorrow’s premiere (“That’s the one with the little girl, right?!?!?”). After the premiere, it’ll be time to check with some co-workers and family to see if they’ve been drawn into the ads as well. But so far, it’s obvious that “Jersey Girl” has been the most visible of all the View Askew films, and that the potential for a very nice theatrical run is there. That doesn’t mean you should stop spreading the word, though. Remember, selling lots of tickets means we’ll get to keep seeing more great products from Kevin, and yes, you die-hard fans could even see the return of Jay & Bob to the big screen someday. So get the word out there, “Jersey Girl” is a film you can recommend to anyone you know, young and old!

New “Roadside”, New Liv!

March 8th, 2004 @ 11:32 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Ming

  • Kevin’s back in Hollywood (on the Boulevard, no less) for the latest edition of Roadside Attractions. The clip, which aired on The Tonight Show back in February, is now available online in both Windows Media and Quicktime formats. More classic stuff, featuring a GREAT Gigli joke, a visit to the Frederick’s of Hollywood Lingerie Museum with a hilarious coda, and yes, not even Janet Jackson is safe when Kev visits the Hollwyood Entertainment Museum:

And, as an added bonus, Ming’s ALSO placed the recent Liv Tyler Tonight Show interview online as well. This one’s only in Quicktime format, but you can enjoy it HERE, and be sure to thank Ming for all of his encoding expertise!

ECU Tix Available!

March 8th, 2004 @ 11:32 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Shannon Phillips, Mike Runy

  • It would appear that the GENERAL PUBLIC can indeed order tickets to Kevin’s Eastern Carolina University appearance, after all! Simply call the ticket office at 1-800-ECU ARTS (1-800-328-4788). It’ll cost you a mere $20 plus $2 handling fee. $22 for a guaranteed night of fun. Get these tickets now before they sell out. Now that we’ve got the news out that non-students can get tix, we imagine they’re gonna fly off the shelves faster than those tickle me elmos did a few years back. The Q&A will be at 7 PM April 5th at ECU’s Wright Auditorium.

*UPDATED* JG Cast Appearance Schedule…

March 8th, 2004 @ 11:31 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Jeff G, Simon, Ben, MJR, Shlomi

  • A few additions to the list of Jersey Girl-related appearances for ya, so this list should now be complete at presstime:
BEN AFFLECK

Hosting Saturday Night Live on Saturday, March 13th. 11:35 PM NBC

The Tonight Show, NBC, March 15th

The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Syndicated, March 24th

GEORGE CARLIN

The View – Wednesday, March 10th

The Daily Show With John Stewart, Comedy Central – Wednesday, March 10th

NEWLY ADDED – Real Time with Bill Maher, Friday, March 12th, HBO (re-runs all week long)

Last Call with Carson Daly – Late Wednesday Night/Thursday Morning, March 17th/18th

LIV TYLER (ALL NEW)

Conan O’Brien – March 9th 12:35 PM (technically its March 10th)

NBC Today Show – the week of March 22nd, 7:00am (exact date unknown)

ABC Regis and Kelly – the week of March 29th 9:00am, ABC (exact date unknown)

View Askew NewsBites™

March 8th, 2004 @ 11:31 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Jose Alcaraz, Darder, WillTempered, Jeff G, Julie, Cheryl Faye Schwartz

  • Have you seen Jersey Girl? Did ya dig it like ya know ya should? Go and give us a positive rating over at the New York Times’ review site starting tomorrow morning!
  • DVD Answers chimes in with a few words on the Evening With Kevin Smith Region 2 DVD release. The set is due on June 21, 2004, and is a must-have for any View Askew fan’s collection. Trust us.
  • Just a rehash of other stories already printed here, but more nice Jersey Girl press on Yahoo! Minor spoilers.
  • IGN runs a fun little article on the DVD “Bad Commentary Behavior List”, where some funny, memorable, and inappropriate DVD audio commentary tracks are cited. Naturally, Kevin and crew score a mention:
The Movie: Clerks

The Offense: Jason Mewes shows up drunk and passes out and wakes up at different times throughout the movie.

I’m not sure exactly what he’s on at that particular moment, but that boy ain’t right.

Jason Mewes either falls asleep, or passes out drunk (probably the latter).

Jason Mewes in the Clerks commentary gets completely obliterated throughout the course of the track. Eventually Kevin Smith has to kick him awake, and Jay mumbles some incoherent babble before the end of the track. Funny and bizarre stuff.

  • Don’t forget, the beautiful AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland starts showing Clerks on the 19th! Shows are at 9:40 nightly for the following week. We’re thinking of trekking in for this one, it’s supposed to be such a kick-ass setup.

Tonight Show’s “Jersey Girl Week” Schedule!

March 7th, 2004 @ 5:59 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Cheryl Faye Schwartz

  • This comes to us directly from The Tonight Show, so take these dates as gospel. 4 appearances are scheduled for the show the week BEFORE Jersey Girl comes out. We imagine that either Leno is on vacation the following week, or that they couldn’t adjust the schedule once the film’s release date changed. But, it’s a full week of guests from the film, which will hopefully get audiences talking and carry into a lot of extra business for the film for the weekend of the 26th. Here’s the booking list, as it now stands:
Ben Affleck – 03.15.04 (Monday)

Kevin Smith – 03.16.04 (Tuesday)

George Carlin – 03.17.04 (Wednesday)

9-year-old Raquel Castro – 03.19.04 (Friday)

Upcoming “Jersey Girl” TV Specials…

March 7th, 2004 @ 5:58 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Bill Minter

  • If you’d like to see a bunch of interviews and clips from “Jersey Girl” as March 26th approaches, a couple TV specials have been announced that will feature the film. First up, Bravo will be airing “The Making of… Jersey Girl” all through March. The first airdate is March 13th at 11:00am (EST). Details HERE and additional showtimes can be found HERE.

    Also, Starz will feature “Jersey Girl” on their show “On the Set”, which will debut on March 13th at 5:20pm (EST).

“Jersey Girl” Cast Appearance Schedule…

March 7th, 2004 @ 5:58 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Maryann, Dave, Cheryl Faye Schwartz, David Seiden

  • The appearances are starting to fall into place and be revealed for the next few weeks. First up, details on a couple of Kevin’s previously announced bits:
He’s currently appearing in ads on Comedy Central, touting that tonight, at 7:30, he will host a special showing of “Dogma” while promoting “Jersey Girl”

at the same time.

And, full details of his MAD TV episode:

“WWE” WRESTLERS ENTER THE COMEDY RING ON AN ALL-NEW “MADtv” SATURDAY, MARCH 13, ON FOX

Director/Actor Kevin Smith (“Silent Bob”) Scheduled to Appear

“WWE” wrestling stars Eddie Guererro, Chris Jericho, Big Show and Trish Stratus will ring the comedy bell while versatile director/actor Kevin Smith complements the chaos and comedy lineup of hilarious sketches, impersonations and parodies planned for an all-new MAD TV airing Saturday, March 13 (11:00 PM-MIDNIGHT ET/PT) on FOX. (MD-918) (TV-14; D, L, S, V)

Cast: Ike Barinholtz, Frank Caliendo, Mo Collins, Bobby Lee, Michael McDonald, Josh Meyers, Ron Pederson, Aries Spears, Paul Vogt, and Stephnie Weir.

Featured Cast: Daniele Gaither, Nicole Parker, Jordan Peele and Gillian Vigman.

Guest Cast: Eddie Guererro, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Trish Stratus and Kevin Smith

Here’s what we’ve got, so far, of Affleck’s upcoming promotional spots for Jersey Girl. We imagine more will be added in the coming days:

MTV Total Request Live (TRL): Monday, March 8th (with Liv Tyler)

Hosting Saturday Night Live on Saturday, March 13th. 11:35 PM NBC

The Tonight Show, NBC, March 15th

The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Syndicated, March 24th

Next up, George Carlin’s current schedule:

The View – Wednesday, March 10th

The Daily Show With John Stewart, Comedy Central – Wednesday, March 10th

Last Call with Carson Daly – Late Wednesday Night/Thursday Morning, March 17th/18th

We’ll keep you posted as we hear more.

View Askew NewsBites™

March 7th, 2004 @ 5:54 pm | No Comments » | Scooped by Chris Ryall, DramaChic, Anime, JudyMack, Jorge Montes

  • The next big celebrity interview has arrived from Antony over at MoviePoopShoot. This time, George Carlin’s in the hot seat.
Antony Teofilo: You don’t do a lot of film work these days, but you have come back several times to work with Kevin Smith. What brings you back to Kevin’s projects so consistently?

George Carlin: In this case, it’s the length and size of the part. When Kevin put me in DOGMA, he wrote that part with me in mind. He wrote this with me in mind, so it was a natural step.

AT: Is Bart Trinke a challenging character? Does that help in the decision making process?

GC: There’s just more to do for me here than I have had to do in other movie parts, there’s more to do emotionally. The character isn’t particularly challenging, but it’s engaging to me. This role requires some attention.

Read the full piece and check out some great new stills from Carlin in the film over at the ‘Shoot.

  • Entertainment Tonight talked to Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler at the recent Jersey Girl Kenny Gordon benefit screening. Here’s a few bars:
‘Jersey Girl’ is Ben’s second starring role with Liv; the pair played young lovers in the big-budget ‘Armageddon’ back in 1998 as relative newcomers with something to prove in the Hollywood studio arena. The two stars have gone on to some major action and fantasy franchise films, and working on the modest ‘Jersey Girl’ proved quite rewarding.

“Being an elf for three years [on ‘Lord of the Rings’], playing a girl from Jersey was fun for me,” says Liv.

‘Jersey Girl’ also marks Ben’s fifth collaboration with pal Kevin Smith. He starred in 1997’s ‘Chasing Amy’ alongside JOEY LAUREN ADAMS and JASON LEE, had smaller roles in ‘Mallrats’ and ‘Dogma,’ and parodied himself with buddy MATT DAMON in ‘Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.’

“It’s exciting to work with Kevin so many times and to see him reach and break new ground,” says Ben. “In some ways there’s continuity to it, by the mere fact that Kevin and I have worked together several times before. But, in other ways it’s a brand-new experience. It’s like taking a trip to a place you’ve never been with an old friend.”

Check out the full story HERE.

  • Nothing new here, but here’s another story, this time from the Courier Post, about Kevin’s upcoming appearance in Paulsboro to showcase “Jersey Girl”.
  • Kevin shares his thoughts on the juggernaut that is “The Passion of the Christ” in this inteview with The Beacon, the student newspaper of Florida International University. Check out a few paragraphs:
I can’t compare it [to ‘Dogma’,] says Smith. “It looks like Mel Gibson’s movie is going to be successful. He has the support of all the people who hated ‘Dogma.’ Bill Donahue of the Catholic League was so soundly adverse to our picture, whereas he’s backing Mel on this one, going ‘every good Catholic should see this film.'”

Smith emphasized during the interview that he’s not seen the film yet, but was basing his opinions on where all the media’s attention seemed to be focusing. “[Gibson’s] way into fetishizing the death of Christ,” says Smith. “I know it’s important. It ain’t Jesus unless he dies and comes back three days later. But I like my Jesus as the guy who says nice things and parted very simple platitudes to save the day.”

Smith also touched on the excessive violence of the film. “I’m not into the whole kind of like ‘He died on the cross and he was butchered by the f***ing Romans and the Jews.’ I don’t know. That’s kind of porn, isn’t it? Porn for the religious right?”

  • A little addendum to the ECU news from last update: If you’re out of the area, but still interested in tix, you can call 1-800-ECU ARTS (1-800-328-4788).
  • Anime To Film News in the UK is reporting that Blade II / Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro is interested in directing Daredevil II: Born Again. Daredevil: Born Again is the critically acclaimed comic by writer Frank Miller and Artist David Mazzucchelli. This superhero/horror story focuses on the fall from grace of Matt Murdock’s secret identity. Like the original story, 90 percent of the film will feature DD without his costume, but rather he will be fighting evil in his civilian clothes. Ben Affleck is reported to be interested in returning as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, as long as project takes a darker and slicker tone. Take this one with a grain of salt as last we’d read, we heard it was unlikely that Affleck would return for another DD flick without Kevin’s involvment. But we’ll see…